Monday, January 14, 2008

Sailor arrested for computer sex crimes

Police in Naugatuck arrested a sailor stationed in Rhode Island after he allegedly engaged in numerous conversations with who he thought was a 14-year old girl.

Luis Martinez was working when he saw the arrest go down. Police swarmed a Naugatuck parking lot and busted 24-year old U.S. Navy First Class Justin Williams.

"I looked over there and then all we saw were like four or five cop cars," Martinez said.

Police say Williams traveled from the Navy base in Newport, Rhode Island to a Naugatuck shopping center thinking he would be meeting up with a 14-year old girl for sex.

In turns out the sailor had actually been chatting on-line with a detective who set up the meeting in Naugatuck and that turned into the take down.

"They just put him up against the car, then they took him, put him in a cop car and then just started searching his car," Martinez said.

The sailor began the computer chats on Christmas Day and police say it then went much further. Detectives say Williams was using a Navy computer equipped with a web camera. While at work on the base and in uniform, he masturbated in front of what he thought was the girl.

"He did have a couple different locations where he did chat from, but at times he as on duty with the Navy while he chatted with our detectives," explained Lt. Robert Harrison of the Naugatuck PD.

And police in Naugatuck say Williams was not their first Internet sting. In fact, they've made over 30 arrests and have nearly a 100-percent conviction rate.

Williams has been in the Navy since 2001.

Charges include criminal attempt at risk of injury to a minor, criminal attempt at sexual assault and use of a computer to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. He is currently being held on a $100,000 bond.

A spokeswoman for the Navy says it's "too early" to know what kind of discipline Williams will face as a result of the arrest.